Cat & Mouse Press Receives DPA Awards
The Mouse (Cat?) That Roared
It was a record-breaking year for Cat & Mouse Press at the Delaware Press Association Communication Contest. When the smoke cleared, our publications had garnered ten awards, including first-place awards for three of the books we published in 2016.
And the winners are…
Beach Nights, the anthology of winning stories from the popular Rehoboth Beach Reads Short Story Contest won first place awards for short story collection (multiple authors) and book editing, and three authors in the book placed in the category of single short story: Kathleen Martens, who received a first-place award for her story “Flight of the Songbird,” Rich Barnett, who received second-place for “Cooking Lard and Candle Wax,” and Robin Glanden, who received a third-place award for “The Attitude of Gratitude List” and an honorable mention for “The Portrait.” Other stories in this eclectic collection of beach reads involve a ghostly WWII tower, a couple with an unusual annual tradition, a boy who learns the snow cone king has a secret, an old lady who is inspired to get a tattoo, and a despondent man who is resurrected through the tango.
The Mermaid in Rehoboth Bay, a sumptuously illustrated children’s picture book received two first-place awards, one for its author, Nancy Sakaduski, and one for the design team that included Marcella Harte and James Dissette. The Mermaid in Rehoboth Bay is a story that celebrates the beauty of the sea and tidal areas, and depicts two strong female characters who confront their fears and achieve their goals on their own. Great care has been taken to depict non-idealized, age-appropriate children that readers will identify with. The story is inspiring and addresses themes of friendship, girl-empowerment, respect for differences, love of nature, and overcoming fears to achieve your goals.
Fun with Dick and James, a raucous romp penned by Rich Barnett received a first-place award in the category of short story collection by a single author. The stories feature Dick Hunter, a Delaware blue blood who would be perfectly happy to spend his days writing obscure historical biographies, taking naps, and lying on the beach who seems to find himself in one jam after another. Fortunately, his young boyfriend, James Flores, is a natural problem-solver, even though his methods aren’t always by the book.
The Sea Sprite Inn by Lynnette Adair won a third-place award in the adult novel category. This beach read delight has been a reader favorite. Jillian inherits a decrepit family home at a turning point in her life and decides to reinvent herself while reinventing the old house into the Sea Sprite Inn, a charming bed and breakfast in Rehoboth Beach.
The awards will be presented May 4 at the DPA annual banquet at the University & Whist Club, 805 N. Broom Street, Wilmington, DE. The event is open to the public. A registration link will be posted at http://delawarepressassociation.org.
The works that received first-place awards will now be eligible for national-level awards through the National Federation of Press Women, so stay tuned!
